Charging control method and device

ABSTRACT

A charging control method of a computing system is provided. The method includes determining a charging mode for an external device connected to the computing system, charging the external device according to the charging mode, monitoring a current and a voltage in the computing system, and changing the charging mode based on the result of the monitoring.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of a Koreanpatent application filed on Feb. 18, 2014 in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office and assigned Serial number 10-2014-0018713, the entiredisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a technique for controlling chargingof an external device connected to a computing system according to aload occurring in a computing system.

BACKGROUND

A computing system such as a laptop Personal Computer (PC) or a desktopPC provides a Universal Serial Bus (USB) or an external port that isconnected to an external device such as a smartphone. The computingsystem may exchange data and communicate with an external deviceconnected through an external port.

The computing system may supply power to an external device connectedthrough an external port. For example, a battery of an external deviceis charged slowly while connected to a computing system.

Battery capacity and power consumption of an external device connectedto a computing system are increasing. For example, the battery capacityof Samsung Galaxy S released in 2010 is 1500 mAh, and the batterycapacity of recently released Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is 3200 mAh. Thebattery capacity has more than doubled in four years. The batterycapacity of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is about 8220 mAh. Accordingly, acharging time of an external device through a computing system may alsoincrease. The dedicated adaptor of an external device (for example,Samsung Galaxy S4) provided from a manufacturer typically providescharging of 5V to 1 A. However, when an external device is chargedthrough a USB 2.0 connection port of a computing system instead of arated (genuine) charger, a current of 500 mA may be supplied (in thecase of USB 3.0, a current of 900 mA may be supplied). When the batteryof Samsung Galaxy S4 (having a capacity of 2600 mAh) is completelydischarged, it takes about 5 hours and 30 minutes to charge the batterythrough a USB connection port (for example, USB 2.0) of a notebook PC.In order to reduce a charging time, devices or application programs arebeing provided to increase supply current through a USB connection port.

However, since a computing system has many components (e.g., loads), inorder to best utilize a system resource of the computing system andsupply high power to an external device, it is necessary to increase thecapacity of an adaptor supplying power to the computing system. However,the increase of an adaptor capacity may burden both manufactures andconsumers due to the rising costs of materials and the size increase ofan adaptor. Additionally, when a high current is provided to an externaldevice while an existing adaptor is used as is, since a power that acomputing system utilizes is not sufficient, the computing system's ownbattery may be discharged or the computing system may be shut down.

The above information is presented as background information only toassist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determinationhas been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the abovemight be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the present disclosure are to address at least theabove-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at leastthe advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the presentdisclosure is to provide a method and device for efficiently controllinga charging state in consideration of a power consumption state of anexternal device, loads of a computing system and an external device, acapacity of an adaptor when an external device is connected to anexternal port such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB).

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a chargingcontrol method of a computing system is provided. The charging controlmethod includes determining a charging mode for an external deviceconnected to the computing system, charging the external deviceaccording to the charging mode, monitoring a current and a voltage inthe computing system, and changing the charging mode based on the resultof the monitoring.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a method ofcontrolling battery charging of an external device connected to acomputing system is provided. The method includes charging the externaldevice through a first charging mode, monitoring a current and a voltagein the computing system, and changing the first charging mode into asecond charging mode based on result of the monitoring.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a computingsystem for controlling a charging mode of an external device isprovided. The computing system includes an external port configured toprovide a connection with the external device, an input currentmonitoring unit configured to monitor an input current provided from anadaptor, a system voltage monitoring unit configured to monitor a systemvoltage of the computing system, a trigger circuit unit configured togenerate an adaptor limit alarm signal according to the input currentmonitored by the input current monitoring unit and the system voltagemonitored by the system voltage monitoring unit, and a controllerconfigured to detect the adaptor limit alarm signal generated by thetrigger circuit unit. The controller changes a charging mode forcharging the external device based on the basis of the adaptor limitalarm signal.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a chargingcontrol method of a computing system is provided. The method includesdetermining a charging mode for an external device connected to thecomputing system, charging the external device according to the chargingmode, monitoring a Relative State of Charge (RSOC) of a remainingbattery power amount of the external device, and changing the chargingmode based on a change amount of the RSOC.

Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings,discloses various embodiments of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certainembodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a computing system in which an adaptor isconnected to an external device according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of power supply according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram view illustrating a computing systemproviding a charging mode and an external device according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a view of a control circuit according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a timing relationship of an alarm signaloccurring in each circuit according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a process for changing a charging mode ofan external device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a part of a process according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a process for changing a charging mode ofan external device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a process for determining a charging modeon the basis of a user input according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a process for changing a charging mode bya user input during charging of an external device according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a part of a typical process forcontrolling a charging mode of an external device according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a view illustrating a following process for controlling acharging mode of an external device according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, it should be noted that like reference numbersare used to depict the same or similar elements, features, andstructures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings isprovided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of variousembodiments of the present disclosure as defined by the claims and theirequivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in thatunderstanding, but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary.Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatvarious changes and modifications of the various embodiments describedherein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of thepresent disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functionsand constructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are notlimited to the bibliographical meanings, but are merely used by theinventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the presentdisclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in theart that the following description of various embodiments of the presentdisclosure is provided for illustration purposes only and not for thepurpose of limiting the present disclosure as defined by the appendedclaims and their equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes referenceto one or more of such surfaces.

The term “include,” “comprise,” and “have”, or “may include,” or “maycomprise” and “may have” used herein indicates disclosed functions,operations, or existence of elements but does not exclude otherfunctions, operations or elements. The meaning of “include,” “comprise,”“including,” or “comprising,” specifies a property, a region, a fixednumber, a step, a process, an element and/or a component but does notexclude other properties, regions, fixed numbers, steps, processes,elements and/or components.

The meaning of the term “or” used herein includes any or allcombinations of the words connected by the term “or”. For instance, theexpression “A or B” may indicate include A, B, or both A and B.

The terms such as “1st”, “2nd”, “first”, “second”, and the like usedherein may refer to modifying various different elements of variousembodiments, but do not limit the elements. Such terms do not limit theorder and/or priority of the elements. Furthermore, such terms may beused to distinguish one element from another element. For example, both“a first user device” and “a second user device” indicate a user devicebut indicate different user devices. A first component may be referredto as a second component and vice versa without departing from the scopeof the present disclosure.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being“connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directlyconnected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may bepresent. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directlyconnected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are nointervening elements present.

Terms used in this specification are used to describe variousembodiments, and are not intended to limit the scope of the presentdisclosure.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, all the terms used herein, whichinclude technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning that isgenerally understood by a person skilled in the art. In general, theterms defined in the dictionary should be considered to have the samemeaning as the contextual meaning of the related art, and, unlessclearly defined herein, should not be understood abnormally or as havingan excessively formal meaning.

Additionally, an electronic device according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure may be a device with a charging function. Forinstance, electronic devices may include at least one of smartphones,tablet personal computers (PCs), mobile phones, video phones, electronicbook (e-book) readers, desktop PCs, laptop PCs, netbook computers,personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable multimedia players (PMPs),MP3 players, mobile medical devices, cameras, and wearable devices(e.g., head-mounted-devices (HMDs) such as electronic glasses,electronic apparel, electronic bracelets, electronic necklaces,electronic accessories, electronic tattoos, and smart watches).

According to various embodiments, an electronic device may be smart homeappliances having a charging function. The smart home appliances mayinclude at least one of, for example, televisions (TVs), digital videodisk (DVD) players, audios, refrigerators, air conditioners, cleaners,ovens, microwave ovens, washing machines, air cleaners, set-top boxes,TV boxes (e.g., Samsung HomeSync™, Apple TV™, or Google TV™), gameconsoles, electronic dictionaries, electronic keys, camcorders, andelectronic picture frames.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, anelectronic device may include at least one of various medical devices(for example, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) devices, magneticresonance imaging (MRI) devices, computed tomography (CT) devices,medical imaging devices, ultrasonic devices, etc.), navigation devices,global positioning system (GPS) receivers, event data recorders (EDRs),flight data recorders (FDRs), vehicle infotainment devices, marineelectronic equipment (for example, marine navigation systems, gyrocompasses, etc.), avionics, security equipment, car head units,industrial or household robots, financial institutions' automaticteller's machines (ATMs), and stores' point of sales (POS).

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronicdevice may include at least one of furniture or buildings/structureshaving a charging function, electronic boards, electronic signaturereceiving devices, projectors, or various measuring instruments (forexample, water, electricity, gas, or radio signal measuringinstruments). An electronic device according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure may be one of the above-mentioned various devices ora combination thereof. Additionally, an electronic device according toan embodiment of the present disclosure may be a flexible device.Furthermore, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that anelectronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosureis not limited to the above-mentioned devices.

Hereinafter, an electronic device according to various embodiments ofthe present disclosure is described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. The term “user” in various embodiments may refer to a personusing an electronic device or a device using an electronic device (forexample, an artificial intelligent electronic device).

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a computing system in which an adaptor isconnected to an external device according to various embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, a computing system 200 includes various forms ofelectronic devices receiving power through an adaptor 100 and includingexternal ports to which external device are connected. For example, thecomputing system 200 includes embodiments of notebook PCs, desktop PCs,netbook PCs, iMacs, or all-in-one PCs.

An external device 300 includes an electronic device connected to anexternal port of the computing system 200 and receiving power from thecomputing system 200. The external device 300 may be a stand-aloneelectronic device but is not limited thereto. The external device 300may include various electronic devices, for example, smartphones such asSamsung Galaxy S Series, tablets such as Galaxy Tap or Note 10.1, orGalaxy Note. Additionally, the external device 300 may be a Galaxycamera or a general digital camera. According to various embodiments,the external device 300 may be a Universal Serial Bus (USB) storagedevice, an external hard disk, or a card reader. The external device 300and the computing system 200 may be the same kind of a device. Forexample, the computing system 200 may be a laptop PC and the externaldevice 300 also may be another laptop PC connected to an external portof the laptop PC. The computing system 200 may be connectable to anadaptor and may be a smartphone or a tablet with an external port andthe external device 300 may be also the same type of another smartphoneor tablet. In this specification, both the external device 300 and thecomputing system 200 may be denoted by or understood as an electronicdevice.

Although it is shown in FIG. 1 that the computing system 200 isconnected to the adaptor 100 via wire and the external device 300, aconnection between the adaptor 100, the computing system 200, and theexternal device 300 may be implemented through a wired or wirelessconnection. For example, the computing system 200 may supply power tothe external device 300 through a wireless charging method such as aresonance induction method or an electromagnetic induction method.Although wired charging and a circuit relating thereto are mainlydescribed in embodiments described layer, description corresponding to aconfiguration providing power from the computing system 200 to theexternal device 300 may be replaced with description corresponding to awireless charging method within the level of those skilled in the art.

The adaptor 100 supplies power to the computing system 200. Although notshown in the drawings, the adaptor 100 may be connected to an all-timesupply power (for example, alternating current (AC) power available inhomes, companies or public places). The adaptor 100 may covert theall-time supply power into a form appropriate for the computing systemand may then supply the power to the computing system 200. For example,when the computing system 200 is Samsung ATIV Book 9 series, the adaptor100 may provide a rated capacity of 40 watts (W).

The computing system 200 may be driven by using a power supplied throughthe adaptor 100. The computing system 200 may include a battery 230. Thecomputing system 200 may use the remaining power to charge the batteryitself after supplying power to various loads (for example, a processor,a memory, a storage device, a display device (for example, anlight-emitting diode (LED) or active-matrix organic light-emitting diode(AMOLED) display device), a graphic processor, a speaker, a built-inmicrophone, a web camera, a network module (for example, 802.11 b/g/n,Bluetooth 4.0, Ethernet module, etc.), etc.) included in the computingsystem 200 by using the supplied power. When power is supplied to theexternal device 300 connected to an external port and a spare powerremains, the computing system 200 may charge the battery.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of power supply according to variousembodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2, the adaptor 100 supplies power to the computingsystem 200. The power may be supplied to a system load 220 occurringwhen the computing system 200. Spare power may be used to charge abattery 230 of the computing system 200. If the external device 300 isconnected through the external port 240, power may be supplied todriving the external device 300 or to charge a battery built in theexternal device 300. According to various embodiments, the computingsystem 200 may distribute power in three types. One type relates to apower supplied to the system load 220 to driving the computing system200. Another type relates to a power for charging a built-in battery 230of the computing system 200. The last type relates to a power providedto the external device 300. A controller 210 may adjust a powerdistribution for the computing system 200 or the external device 300.For example, in order to prevent an error in an operation of thecomputing system 200 or the down of the computing system 200, thecontroller 210 may distribute power to the system load 220 with thehighest priority. If there is a spare power, the controller 210 maysupply some power to the external device 300. Power supplied to theexternal device 300 may be divided again into power for driving theexternal device 300 and power for charging a battery of the externaldevice 300. The controller 210 may supply power for driving the externaldevice 300 with a higher priority than power for charging a battery ofthe external device 300. In some embodiments, since the controller 210(or the computing system 200) cannot control a power usage priority forthe external device 300, the controller 210 may provide a control signalfor using a power supplied to a controller of the external device 300 ora control unit (for example, an application processor (AP)) as a powerfor driving the external device 300 first. The external device 300 mayuse the supplied power as a power for driving the external device 300instead of battery charging in response to the control signal. If thecontroller 210 provides a control signal for performing the batterycharging of the external device 300 instead of the driving of theexternal device 300, the external device 300 may switch components (forexample, an AP, and various sensors and modules) included therein intodeactivation or sleep state and may focus on battery charging. However,in some other embodiments, when the controller 210 (or the computingsystem 200) directly controls a power usage priority for the externaldevice 300, the controller 210 may directly control a supply path of apower supplied to the external device 300.

The controller 210 may control power supply according to varioussituations that occur when the external device 300 is connected. Theexternal device 300 may support a plurality of charging states. Forexample, the external device 300 may support a fast charging mode, anormal charging mode, and a slow charging mode. In another embodiment,the external device may provide various charging stages. For example, afirst stage (in which a minimum power necessary for driving the externaldevice 300 is received and the battery of the external device 300 is notcharged) to a fifth stage (in which an operation of the external device300 is minimized and battery charging is maximized) may be provided. Inthis case, intermediate second, third, and fourth stages may be provideddepending on the amount of power or current provided. In the case of theabove mentioned examples (e.g., the fast/normal/low speed chargingmodes), it is understood that there are total three stages.

The controller 210 may determine a charging mode according to a state ofthe computing system 200 or the external device 300. When the externaldevice 300 is connected to the external port of the computing system200, the previously connected external device 300 is activated (e.g.,power is ON, screen is ON, or lock is released), or the charging of theexternal device 300 starts through a function key or a charging command,the controller 210 may determine a charging mode by determining apossible power amount currently supplied to the external device 300. Insome embodiments, when the external device 300 is connected (or othercharging starts), the computing system 200 may display a screen fordetermining a charging mode on a screen thereof. For example, thecomputing system may display a menu screen for selecting one of a fastcharging mode or a normal charging mode. Upon the receipt of a userinput for selecting one of a plurality of charging modes from a user,the computing system 200 may determine a charging mode selected by theuser as a charging mode of the external device 300. Furthermore, in someembodiments the controller 210 may automatically decide the chargingmode as a fast charging mode in response to connecting with the externaldevice 300.

The controller 210 may supply power to the external device 300 accordingto the determined charging mode. However, while the external device 300is charged, it may not be desirable to continuously maintain theinitially determined charging mode. For example, when the initiallydetermined charging mode is a fast charging mode but the computingsystem 200 performs a task (for example, graphic task, video encodingtask, large file transfer, and so forth) using a large amount of systemresources (e.g., causing a heavy load for the system), power supplied tothe system load 220 may become insufficient. In such a situation, thecontroller 210 may consume a power stored in the battery 230 but in theextreme case, due to the lack of a power supplied to the system load220, an error in a task being performed may occur or system down mayoccur. Accordingly, in this case, the controller 210 may change acharging mode provided to the external device 300 from a fast chargingmode into a lower mode (for example, a normal charging mode or a slowcharging mode).

When the computing system 200 uses a lot of system resources or thebattery 230 is nearly depleted, the controller 210 may determine acharging mode for the external device 300, for example, a slow chargingmode. However, a situation that the system load 220 requires a largeamount of power is released (for example, a plurality of tasks areterminated) or the charging of the battery 230 in the computing system200 is completed or reaches a predetermined reference, a power to beprovided to the external device 300 may be spared. In such a situation,the controller 210 may change a charging mode into an upper level mode(for example, a normal charging mode or a fast charging mode).

The computing system 200 may take an action for guaranteeing a chargingpower supplied to the external device 300. For example, the computingsystem 200 may supply a sufficient charging current to the externaldevice 300 by adjusting a charging current for charging the battery 230(for example, by reducing or cutting off a charging current of thebattery 230). In some embodiments, the computing system 200 may combinea power provided by the adaptor 100 and a power provided by the battery230 and may then provide the combined power to the external device 300.Additionally, the computing system 200 provides more than apredetermined power of a power provided by the adaptor 100 to theexternal device 300 and also may use a power stored in the battery 230to allow the computing system 200 to operate normally at the same time.In this case, even when the computing system 200 is connected to theadaptor 100, the battery 230 may be discharged slowly.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram view illustrating a computing systemproviding a charging mode control and an external device according tovarious embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3, the flow of power is indicated by a bold solid lineand the flow of control signal is indicated by a dotted line.

The computing system 200 may include a controller 210, a system load220, a battery 230, an external port 240, an external port switch 250, adisplay 260, and an input device 270. The computing system 200 may alsoinclude an input current monitoring unit 211, a system voltagemonitoring unit 213, a trigger circuit unit 215, a charger 217, and anexternal port current limit IC 219. Additionally, although not shown inthe drawings, the computing system may further include a voltageregulator (for example, a 5V voltage regulator (VR)) disposed at thefront end of the external port switch 250.

The external device 300 may include a controller 310, a charger 320, anda battery 330. Although not shown in the drawings, the external device300 may further include a processor (for example, an AP) for driving theexternal device, a memory, a display, various sensors, and a module.

The controller 210 may receive a trigger signal on the basis of amonitoring result by the input current monitoring unit 211 and/or thesystem voltage monitoring unit 213 from the trigger circuit unit 215.The controller 210 may provide a control signal to the charger 217, theexternal port current limit IC 219, the external port switch 250, thedisplay 260, and the input device 270 on the basis of at least a triggersignal. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the controller 210 may provide acontrol signal so as to deactivate or activate at least part of thesystem load 220 according to a monitoring state. The controller 210 maycontrol an operation of the computing system 200 regardless of a triggersignal. For convenience of description, a control signal flow of thecontroller 210 is expressed in one direction (→), but if necessary, acontrol signal may be provided in a bi-direction (⇄). Additionally, thecontroller 210 may include a circuit therein for generating a protectionalarm signal. This is described below with reference to FIG. 4.

The system load 220 may refer to a load occurring when the computingsystem 200 is driven, such as a component, as mentioned above. Thecomputing system 200 may include various components and each componentmay require power supply to operate. The system load 220 may refer to atotal sum of loads in each component required when the computing system200 operates. In various embodiments, a component in a deactivated orsleep state is included in the computing system 200 but not included inthe system load 220. For example, when an external graphics card ismounted, a graphics processing unit (GPU) included in a system is in adeactivated state and accordingly, power supply is not required.Therefore, the GPU may not be included in the system load 220. In someembodiments, when the display 260 is OFF, power is not supplied to thedisplay 260 and thus the display 260 is excluded from the system load220. The system load 220 may be variable.

The system load 220 may exclude components (e.g., the charger 217 andthe battery 230) for charging a battery of the computing system 200 andcomponents (e.g., the external port 240 and components of the externaldevice 300) for supplying power to the external device 300.Additionally, although the controller 210, the display 260, and theinput device 270, which are separated from a system load, are shown inFIG. 3, it may be understood that such components are included in thesystem load 220 from a point view of the above-mentioned description. Indetermining a power supplied to the system load 220 or a voltage appliedto the system load 220, the influences of separately shown componentsmay be considered together.

The battery 230 and the external port 240 are described with referenceto FIG. 2 and thus their descriptions are omitted.

The external port switch 250 may serve as a switch for determiningwhether to connect power to the external port 240. For example, when a5V VR is disposed at the front end of the external port switch 250, theexternal port switch 250 may determine whether to connect a 5V power tothe external device through the external port 240. When the externaldevice 300 is connected, the external port switch 250 may be ONautomatically. When the external device 300 is connected to thecomputing system 200, the controller 210 may determine whether to applypower to the external device 300 and may provide an external port switchenable signal to the external port switch 250. When a high signal isapplied, the external port switch 250 may be ON. When a low signal isapplied, the external port switch 250 may be OFF (i.e., power supplyinterruption). The external port switch 250 may be controlled bysoftware installed in the computing system 200.

When the external device 300 is connected, the display 260 may provide ascreen for providing information relating to the connected externaldevice 300 (for example, a model name, a manufacturer, supportedfeatures, a battery capacity, a current battery charging mode, and soforth) and selecting a battery charging mode of the external device 300.The display 260 may be a display equipped with a touch panel and in thiscase, may receive a user's touch input. Additionally, in variousembodiments, the display 260 may be implemented integrated with theinput device 270.

The input device 270 may receive a user input. For example, the inputdevice 270 may include a keyboard or a mouse. The input device 270 mayreceive a user input for a user selection menu provided to the display260. A charging mode selection window or menu of the external device 300may be provided to the display 260 by a power on switch or a functionkey provided by the input device 270.

The input current monitoring unit 211 may monitor an input currentprovided from the adaptor 100. This input current may correspond to atotal sum of currents supplied to the computing system 200 and theexternal device 300. If the external device 300 changes into a fastcharging mode drastically or the system load 220 is reducedsignificantly, an input current may be increased. For example, a valueof an input current may be increased to more than a safety reference ora reference value provided from the adaptor 100 or the computing system200. The input current monitoring unit 211 may monitor an input currentprovided to the computing system 200 in such a manner and may provide amonitoring result to the trigger circuit unit 215. The input currentmonitoring unit 211 may convert the input current into voltage and mayprovide a monitoring result to the trigger circuit unit 215. In someembodiments, a process of converting an input current into voltage maybe performed in the trigger circuit unit 215. This is described belowwith reference to FIG. 4.

The system voltage monitoring unit 213 may monitor a voltage Vsysapplied to the system load 220 in order to drive the computing system200. Due to the drastically changing system load 220, an input current(or a voltage conversion of an input current) may generate an excessiverepetitive pulse near a critical value and an output correspondingthereto may serve as a factor that makes applying a detection systemdifficult. Accordingly, when a voltage change due to a system loadchange is less than a reference voltage Vth by detecting a systemvoltage (or, an adaptor voltage), the same adaptor limit alarm signalmay occur.

The trigger circuit unit 215 may generate a trigger signal on the basisof signals provided from the input current monitoring unit 211 and thesystem voltage monitoring unit 213 and may than provide the triggersignal to the controller 210. The controller 210 may generate variouscontrol signals on the basis of this trigger signal and may then providethe control signals to the charger 217, the external port current limitIC 219, the external port switch 250, the display 260, and the inputdevice 270.

The charger 217 may start charging the battery 230 when receiving acontrol signal for charging the battery 230 from the controller 210. Insome embodiments, if there is a remaining power after power is providedto the system load 220 and the external device 300, the charger 217 maystart charging the battery 230 automatically.

The external port current limit IC 219 recognizes a type of the externaldevice 300 through a signal of the external device 300 connected to theexternal port 240 and may then detect and set a required charging mode(for example, a charging allowable current level and whether tocommunicate), such as whether to charge and communicate. The externalport current limit IC 219 may provide a signal for limiting a currentprovided to the external device 300 or a signal for limiting acommunication of the external device 300 to the external device 300 (orthe controller 310 of the external device 300) on the basis of a controlsignal provided from the controller 210. In such a perspective view, theexternal port current limit IC 219 may be understood as the externalport current/communication limit IC 219. For example, when a userselects a charging mode of a fast charging mode from a charging modeselection menu provided to the display 260, the external port currentlimit IC 219 may provide a control signal for allowing the externaldevice 300 to operate in a state appropriate for fast charging, to thecontroller 310. For example, the controller 310 may stop a datacommunication (and a communication between the external device 300 andanother external device or a server) between the computing system 200and the external device 200 and may then start fast charging afteractivating a minimum function of the external device 300. Some of theabove-mentioned operations (for example, data communicationinterruption) may be performed by the computing system 200 (or thecontroller 210).

The external device 300 may be connected to the computing system 200through the external port 240. The controller 310 of the external device300 may adjust a setting of the external device 300 in response to acontrol signal provided from the computing system 200. For example, whencharging is performed in fast charging mode, the controller 310 maylimit data communication or may switch an AP of the external device 300into a sleep state. When the external device 300 is charged in slowcharging mode, the controller 310 may allow most of the supplied powerto be used for driving the external device 300. In each case, thecharger 320 may provide a supplied power to the battery 330 so as tocharge the battery 330.

FIG. 4 is a view of a control circuit according to various embodimentsof the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4, the control circuit includes the input monitoringunit 211, the system voltage monitoring unit 213, the trigger circuitunit 215, and the controller 210, all of which are shown in FIG. 3. Forexample, a circuit 410, a circuit 430 may correspond to the inputcurrent monitoring unit 211 and the system voltage monitoring unit 213,respectively. Circuits 420 and 440 correspond to the trigger circuitunit 215. The circuit may convert an input current into voltage.

A sense resistor Rsense having one end connected to the adaptor 100 andthe other end connected to a system voltage may be disposed in thecircuit 410. The circuit 410 may detect an input voltage inputted fromthe adaptor 100 by using the sensor resistor Rsense and may then convertthe detected input voltage into voltage so as to output the voltage asan output voltage Vin_curr. The circuit 420 may determine whether theoutput voltage Vin_curr exceeds a threshold voltage Vth. A determinationresult may be provided to an OR gate A.

The circuit 430 may determine whether the system voltage Vsys is below areference voltage. When the system voltage Vsys is below the referencevoltage, the computing system 200 may not operate normally and thus analarm may be required. A result determined by the circuit 430, forexample, Low Vsys alarm signal, may be provided to the OR gate A. Acontrol circuit according to various embodiments of the presentdisclosure may have a structure for checking whether an adapter capacityis exceeded accurately through a parallel configuration of an inputcurrent (i.e., an adaptor current) and an input voltage (i.e., a systemvoltage).

The circuit 440 (that is, the trigger circuit unit 440) may generate atrigger on the basis of a signal provided to the OR gate A. The triggermay be an adaptor limit alarm signal representing that a voltage orcurrent value reaches a limit value of the adaptor 100.

The adaptor limit alarm signal may occur each time an alarm signal isprovided to the OR gate A, but may be provided with a delay in someembodiments. For example, R, L (not shown), and C devices in the circuit440 (are used to adjust a delay time. For example, in the case that thedelay time is t1, when an adaptor limit alarm signal occurs and when asignal corresponding to a threshold current or a reference voltage isprovided before the time t1 elapses, the trigger circuit unit 440 maynot generate an adaptor limit alarm signal. A situation in which acharging mode of the external device 300 is changed continuously whenmany alarm signals occur within a short time through such a delay (e.g.,a situation in which as soon as a normal charging mode changes into afast charging mode, the fast charging mode changes into the normalcharging mode again is repeated, or the reverse situation is repeated)may be prevented.

The controller 210 may include a circuit 450 for generating a protectionalarm signal. The circuit 450 may generate a protection alarm signalwhen an adaptor limit alarm signal occurs more than a predeterminednumber of times within a reference time (e.g., t2). This is becauseinstantaneous voltage or current abnormality may occur inside a circuit(e.g., phenomena such as induced electro motive force and inducedcurrent occurring when a switch is ON/OFF or the external device 300 isconnected or disconnected) and it may not be appropriate to change acharging mode by one or a small number of adaptor limit alarm signals.Accordingly, when an occurrence period or an occurrence frequency of anadaptor limit alarm signal satisfies a condition predefined according toa situation of the computing system 200, the circuit 450 may generate aprotection alarm signal and the controller 210 may change a chargingmode in response to the protection alarm signal. In various embodiments,when a protection alarm signal occurs, the controller 210 may adjust acharging mode to lower a current stage by one stage. However, in someembodiments, the controller 210 may adjust a charging mode to anarbitrary lower stage in response to a protection alarm signal.

A control circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosuremay include a voltage cumulative comparator. When an input current (forexample, a conversion voltage of an input current), an adaptor limitalarm signal, or a voltage level in the OR gate A are accumulated and avoltage more than a specific voltage occurs, high or low may bemaintained and when an accumulated voltage level is maintained more thana specific level, the voltage cumulative comparator may change acharging mode at a corresponding point.

Additionally, when a battery discharging mode is supported together withan adaptor input during high power, a charging mode may be changed (forexample, from fast charging mode to slow charging mode) through aremaining Relative State of Charge (RSOC) change amount of the battery330 of the external device 300. For example, the controller 210 maymonitor the RSOC of the battery 330 in the external device 300periodically or continuously. The controller 210 may change a chargingmode on the basis of a change amount of the monitored RSOC. In general,when a battery is discharged completely or the remaining battery isrunning low, charging may be performed at a fast speed but as a batteryreaches an almost full charging state, a charging speed may be reduced.Accordingly, it may be efficient to change a charging speed according toa remaining battery level. When a charging mode changes, an alarm may beprovided to the display 260. If a user wants to re-enter a fast chargingmode, a selection menu may be provided. In some embodiments, when abattery is being charged, a method for changing a charging mode at alltimes or by a predetermined input may be displayed on a display of thecomputing system 200 or the external device 300. In some embodiments,when an RSOC change amount is increased, the mode changes into a fastcharging mode automatically.

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a timing relationship of an alarm signaloccurring in each circuit according to various embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5, Graph 1 represents a change in monitored inputcurrent (a value changed into voltage). When an input current isconverted into voltage, Vth may represent a threshold voltage. Each timea threshold voltage occurs, a high signal may be generated in the ORgate A. The OR gate A may output a high signal (see Graph 2) in responseto a monitoring result for system voltage Vsys (for example, the systemvoltage Vsys lower than a reference voltage is detected) in addition toa monitoring result for input current.

Referring to Graph 3, an adaptor limit alarm signal occurring in thetrigger circuit unit 215 (or the circuit unit 440) may be generated fora predetermined time t1. Even when several times of a voltage of morethan a threshold voltage or less than a reference voltage occurs fromthe OR gate A within the predetermined time t1, several alarm signalsoccurring during the predetermined time t1 may be provided as oneadaptor limit alarm signal.

Referring to Graph 4, the controller 210 may detect an adaptor limitalarm signal occurring by the trigger circuit unit 215 at an interval ofa predetermined time (for example, t2). The controller 210 detects thenumber of times that an adaptor limit alarm signal is maintained high atan interval of a predetermined time t2 and when a high signal occursmore than a predetermined number of times, for example, the circuit 450may generate a protection alarm signal (for example, high).

Referring to Graph 5, t2 may be counted as soon as an adaptor limitalarm high signal is detected first during one period. When theprotection alarm occurs, after a predetermined time t3 elapses, t2 maybe initialized again.

Referring to Graph 6, when an adaptor limit alarm signal is detectedmore than a predetermined number of times (e.g., three times as shown inGraph 6), the circuit 450 may generate a protection alarm signal. When aprotection alarm signal occurs, a charging mode may be changed to alower stage. For example, a charging mode may be changed, for example,from a fast charging mode into a normal charging mode or a slow chargingmode.

A protection alarm signal may last for t3. In some cases, an inputcurrent may exceed an allowable value or a system voltage may be stilldetected low, even though the charging mode has changed. In this case, asignal detected during t3 may be ignored. Too frequent changes in acharging mode may be inefficient or may inconvenience the user. As t3elapses, t2 is reset and an entire monitoring process of the computingsystem 200 may start again.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a process for changing a charging mode ofan external device according to various embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 6, a charging mode of an external device 300 may bedetermined in operation 610. When the external device 300 is connectedto a computing system 200, the computing system 200 may charge theexternal device through a predefined general charging mode (for example,a power supply of 5V to 0.5 A). In some embodiments, the computingsystem 200 may determine a charging mode on the basis of at least onecharacteristic of the external device 300, the current load of thecomputing system 200, and the remaining battery power amount of thebattery 230 in the computing system 200. In some embodiments, when theexternal device 300 is connected or a specific input relating tocharging occurs from a user, the computing system 200 may display a menufor determining a charging mode. A charging mode may be determined onthe basis of a user input for the displayed menu.

In operation 620, the computing system 200 may start charging theexternal device 300 according to the determined charging mode. As thecharging starts, the computing system 200 may provide information on thecurrent charging mode, another charging mode that a user can change, orvoltage or current that is currently supplied.

In operation 630, the computing system 200 may monitor current andvoltage therein. For example, the computing system 200 may monitor aninput current provided from the adaptor 100. The input current may bemonitored with a value converted to voltage. Additionally, the computingsystem 200 may monitor whether a sufficient voltage required for asystem load is applied to drive the computing system 200 stably.

In operation 640, if a monitoring result input current is too high or asystem voltage of less than a reference value is detected, a chargingmode may be changed. For example, the charging mode may be adjusted onestage down from the fourth stage to the third stage. Once the chargingmode is changed, the process proceeds to operation 620 again andcontinuously charges the external device 300. When charging the externaldevice 300 is completed, the process is terminated.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a part of a process for changing acharging mode of an external device according to various embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 7, a charging mode may be determined in operation 710.Operation 710 may include an operation for displaying a selectablecharging mode to a user and an operation for determining a charging modeselected on the basis of a user input as a charging mode. For example, afast charging mode and a normal charging mode may be provided as a userselectable charging mode. According to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure, a part of a charging mode supported by the computing system200 may be provided to be selected by a user. For example, a slowcharging mode may be supported by the computing system 200 but may notbe provided in a user selection menu.

In operation 720, it is determined whether the determined charging modeis the fast charging mode. If the determined charging mode is the fastcharging mode, the process proceeds to operation 721 and if thedetermined charging mode is the normal charging mode, the processproceeds to operation 722.

In operation 721, it is be determined whether a limit signal occurs. Invarious embodiments, the limit signal may be an adaptor current limitalarm signal generated based on a current (or a converted voltage)detected by the input current monitoring unit 211 or a voltage detectedby the system voltage monitoring unit 213. When the limit signal occurs,the process proceeds to operation 723 but when the limit signal is notdetected, the process proceeds to operation 740.

In operation 723, the number of occurrences of the limit signal, forexample, an adaptor current limit alarm signal, may be determined. Thenumber of occurrences may indicate the number of adaptor current limitalarm signals occurring during a second time period (for example, a timeperiod t3) at a first time interval (for example, a time interval t2).If the number of occurrences exceeds the predefined reference number ofoccurrences N (for example, N=3), the process proceeds to operation 725.If not, the process proceeds to operation 740.

In operation 725, the number of occurrences of an adaptor current limitalarm signal exceeds the predetermined reference number of occurrencesN, a protection alarm signal may occur. The protection alarm signal maybe generated by a protection alarm signal generation circuit 450disposed in the controller 210. When the protection alarm signal occurs,the process proceeds to operation 727.

In operation 727, the computing system 200 may change a charging mode ofthe external device 300. The fast charging mode that is the currentcharging mode may be changed into the normal charging mode that is onestage down. After the charging mode is changed, the process may proceedto A continuously. Subsequent operations are described below withreference to FIG. 8.

In operation 720, when the charging mode is not the fast charging mode(that is, in the case of the normal charging mode), the charging mode ismonitored in operation 722 whether a limit signal occurs. Additionally,the number of occurrences of the limit signal is determined in operation724. Since operations 722 and 724 correspond to operations 721 and 723,respectively, overlapping descriptions are omitted.

In operation 726, when the number of occurrences of an adaptor currentlimit alarm signal exceeds the predetermined reference number ofoccurrences N, a protection alarm signal may occur.

In operation 728, the computing system 200 may change the charging modeof the external device 300. The normal charging mode that is the currentcharging mode may be changed into the slow charging mode that is thelowest stage. When the charging mode is changed, a charging mode timermay operate.

In operation 730, it is determined whether a predetermined time telapses after the time that the charging mode is changed. When the timet elapses, the process proceeds to operation 732. In the embodiment ofFIG. 7, since the charging mode changed in operation 728 is the loweststage charging mode, a monitoring operation for detecting theoccurrences of an additional protection alarm signal may not beperformed.

In operation 732, when it is determined in operation 732 that the time telapses, the current charging mode is changed to a charging modedetermined in operation 710 (i.e., from the slow charging mode into thenormal charging mode). When the charging mode determined by a user isthe normal charging mode, the computing system 200 may perform chargingin the slow charging mode for a predetermined time t (for example, 30min) and may then change the charging mode into the normal charging modethat is initially selected by a user again. When the charging mode ischanged into a higher charging mode again, the computing system 200 mayperform operations for monitoring the occurrence of a protection alarmsignal again (e.g., operation 722 to operation 726). When a limit signaldoes not occur or the reference number of occurrences is not exceeded, acurrently determined charging mode may be maintained in operation 740.

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a process for changing a charging mode ofan external device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 8, in operation 729, whether a limit signal occurs ismonitored. Additionally, the number of occurrences of the limit signalis determined in operation 731. Since operations 729 and 731 correspondto operations 721 and 723, respectively, overlapping descriptions areomitted.

When a limit signal does not occur in operation 729 or the number ofoccurrences of a limit signal is less than a predetermined number N inoperation 731, the process proceeds to operation 810.

In operation 810, it is determined whether a time t elapses after thetime that the mode changes into the normal charging mode. When it isdetermined that the time t elapses, the current charging mode is changedto the charging mode determined in operation 710 (i.e., from the normalcharging mode into the fast charging mode). When the charging modedetermined by a user is the fast charging mode, the computing system 200may perform charging in the normal charging mode for a predeterminedtime t (for example, 30 min) and may then change the charging mode intothe normal charging mode that is initially selected by a user again. Inoperation 810, for example, the time t for performing charging in thenormal charging mode may be identical to or different from the time forperforming charging in the slow charging mode in operation 730. Forexample, after charging is performed for 20 min in the normal chargingmode, it is possible to attempt to change the mode into the fastcharging mode. The mode timer t according to a charging mode may be setarbitrarily in a system or defined by a user.

When the charging mode is changed into the fast charging mode again inoperation 820, the process may proceed to B and may then performoperations for monitoring the occurrence of a protection alarm signalagain (for example, operation 721 to operation 725). When a limit signaldoes not occur or the reference number of occurrences is not exceeded, acurrently determined charging mode may be maintained in operation 740.

When the number of occurrences of a limit signal exceeds a predeterminednumber N in operation 731, the process proceeds to operation 733.

In operation 733, a protection alarm signal may occur. When theprotection alarm signal occurs, the process proceeds to operation 735.

In operation 735, the computing system 200 may change a charging mode ofthe external device 300. The normal charging mode that is the currentcharging mode may be changed into the slow charging mode that is thelowest stage. When the charging mode is changed, a charging mode timermay operate.

In operation 737, it is determined whether a predetermined time telapses from the time that the charging mode is changed. When the time telapses, the process proceeds to operation 732. Operation 737 of FIG. 8may correspond to operation 730 of FIG. 7.

In operation 739, when it is determined in operation 732 that the time telapses, the current charging mode is changed to a charging modedetermined in operation 710 (i.e., from the slow charging mode into thefast charging mode). In this case, since the charging mode determined bya user is the fast charging mode, the computing system 200 may performcharging in the slow charging mode for a predetermined time t (forexample, 30 min) and may then change the charging mode into the fastcharging mode that is initially selected by a user again. In thisembodiment, a charging mode may be changed from the lowest charging modeto the highest charging mode directly without going through the normalcharging mode that is an intermediate stage. After the charging mode ischanged, the process may proceed to B (operation 721).

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a process for determining a charging modeon the basis of a user input according to various embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 9, the computing system 200 may perform a specifictask or may be in a standby state in operation 910. For example, thecomputing system 200 may be in a power saving mode.

In operation 920, the computing system 200 may recognize that theexternal device 300 is connected. In correspondence to the connectionrecognition, the computing system 200 may change the external portswitch 250 to be in the ON state. Additionally, in communication withthe external device 300 through the external port current limit IC 219,information on the external device 300 may be received. The connectionrecognition may occur when the external device 300 is connectedphysically, the power of an already connected external device isactivated in ON state, or connection is established on software orcircuit. For example, a user may recognize the external device 300 thatis already connected physically by using a function key of the inputdevice 270, through a software manner.

In operation 930, it is determined whether charging of the externaldevice 300 is necessary. When it is determined in operation 930 that thecharging is required, the process proceeds to operation 940. When thecharging of the external device 300 is not required, the process returnsto operation 910 so that the computing system 200 may enter a normalfunction performance or a standby state.

When the charging is required in operation 940, the computing system 200may provide an inquiry for a charging mode. For example, the computingsystem 200 may display a user selectable charging mode on the display260 of the computing system 200. All charging modes that the computingsystem 200 supports or only some of a plurality of charging modes may beprovided to the display 260. In some embodiments, an inquiry for acharging mode may be provided to a display of the external device 300.In this case, the controller 210 may provide a charging mode that thecomputing system 200 can support to the controller 310 of the externaldevice 300 and the controller 310 may determine a charging mode that theexternal device 300 can accept to provide the charging mode to thedisplay of the external device 300.

In operation 950, a user input for an inquiry of a charging mode may bereceived. When a selection menu of a charging mode is provided from theexternal device 300, the external device 300 may receive an input for acharging mode to provide to the controller 210 of the computing system200.

In operation 960, the computing system 200 may determine a charging modeon the basis of a user input. When the charging mode is determined, thecomputing system 200 may charge the external device 300 according to thedetermined charging mode and may perform an operation for monitoring thecurrent and voltage of the computing system 200 during charging. Aprocess C may correspond to operation 630 of FIG. 6 and operations 721to 727 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a process for changing a charging mode bya user input during charging of an external device according to variousembodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 10, a charging mode of an external device 300 may bedetermined in operation 1010. In operation 1020, charging the externaldevice 300 is performed. While the external device 300 is performed,information on the current charging mode of the external device 300, forexample, information on provided voltage, provided current, and anothercharging mode, may be provided. In some embodiments, a selection menu, agraph, or a scroll for a charging current supported by the externaldevice 300 may be provided.

In operation 1030, a user may change a charging mode. For example, auser may select a charging mode faster or slower than the currentcharging mode. In some embodiments, a user may select an arbitrarycharging current within a charging current range supported by theexternal device 300.

In operation 1040, the computing system 200 may charge the externaldevice 300 according to a charging mode changed by a user input. Thecomputing system 200 may monitor the current or voltage therein whilecharging the external device 300 through the changed charging mode. Aprocess D may correspond to operation 630 of FIG. 6, operations 721 to727 of FIG. 7, and the process C of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a part of a process for controlling acharging mode of an external device according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. In relation to the description below, overlappingcontent is omitted. In the description relating to the above-mentionedflowchart, device and circuit, applicable descriptions may be applied toFIGS. 11 and 12.

Referring to FIG. 11, a charging mode may be determined in operation1110. In operation 1120, whether a limit signal (for example, an adaptorlimit alarm signal) occurs may be determined. In operation 1130, whetherthe number of occurrences of a limit signal exceeds a predeterminednumber N may be determined.

When the limit signal does not occur or the number of occurrences doesnot exceed a predetermined number N in operation 1120, the processproceeds to operation 1170. In operation 1170, it is determined whetherthe current charging mode is the highest charging mode (for example, thefast charging mode). When the current charging mode is the highestcharging mode, the process proceeds to operation 1180 and when thecurrent charging mode is not the highest charging mode, the processproceeds to a process G.

When the limit signal does not occur or the number of occurrences doesnot exceed a predetermined number N in operation 1120, this means that acharging state of the current computing system 200 is extremely good.The computing system 200 may consume fewer system resources=, thebattery 230 of the computing system 200 may be completely charged, or abattery status of the external device 300 may be good. In such a case,the computing system 200 may supply more charging current to theexternal device 300. However, when the current charging mode is thehighest charging mode, (i.e., the most current that the computing system200 or the external device 300 supports is supplied), the charging modemay be maintained as is. If the current charging mode is not the highestcharging mode, the process proceeds to a process G to change thecharging mode to a higher charging mode.

The process returns to operation 1130 again and when the number ofoccurrences of a limit signal exceeds the predetermined number N, aprotection alarm signal may occur in operation 1140. When a protectionalarm signal occurs, it is determined in operations 1150 whether thecurrent charging mode is the lowest charging mode (for example, the slowcharging mode). If the current charging mode is not the lowest chargingmode, the process proceeds to a process E to change the charging modeinto a one stage lower charging mode. If the current charging mode isthe lowest charging mode, this means that there is a limit situation inthe computing system 200 or the adaptor 100 when the lowest chargingmode is used. Therefore, the charging of the external device 300 may bestopped in operation 1160.

FIG. 12 is a view illustrating a process for controlling a charging modeof an external device according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 12, it is determined whether a predetermined time telapses after charging starts through the current charging mode inoperation 1230. If the predetermined time t elapses, the processproceeds to operation 1240.

In operation 1240, the current charging mode may be adjusted to a onestage higher charging mode. However, when there is a charging mode setby a user as shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 7 and 8, the chargingmode may be adjusted higher to one among a plurality of higher chargingmodes.

When the current charging mode is not the lowest charging mode inoperation 1150 of FIG. 11, the process proceeds to a process E. Acharging mode may be adjusted lower in operation 1210. In operation1220, it is determined whether the changed charging mode is the lowestcharging mode. If the lowered charging mode is the lowest charging mode,it is determined in operation 1230 whether a predetermined time telapses. If the predetermined time t elapses from the time that thecharging mode is changed, the charging mode is adjusted higher inoperation 1240. However, when the lowered charging mode is not thelowest charging mode in operation 1220, the process proceeds to aprocess F to monitor the current and voltage of the computing system200. This may partially correspond to the embodiments of FIGS. 7 and 8.

However, according to some embodiments, a monitoring operation may beperformed between operation 1220 and operation 1230. As described withreference to FIG. 11, when the changed charging mode is the lowestcharging mode, a monitoring operation is performed and while theexternal device 300 is charged through the lowest charging mode, if aprotection alarm signal occurs, the charging may be stopped.

A charging control method of a computing system according to variousembodiments of the present disclosure may include an operation fordetermining a charging mode for an external device connected to thecomputing system, an operation for charging the external deviceaccording to the charging mode, an operation for monitoring a currentand a voltage in the computing system, and an operation for changing thecharging mode on the basis of the monitoring result.

An operation for determining a charging mode according to variousembodiments of the present disclosure may include an operation forpresenting a plurality of selectable charging modes to a user, anoperation for receiving a user input for selecting one of the pluralityof charging modes, and an operation for determining the selected mode asthe charging mode. Additionally, the operation for determining thecharging mode may determine a charging mode automatically on the basisof at least one of a system load of the computing system, a batterycharging condition included in the computing system, and an operatingstate of the external device. Additionally, the operation fordetermining the charging mode may include an operation for presenting aselectable range of a charging current to a user, an operation forreceiving a user input for a specific current value corresponding to therange of the charging current, and an operation for determining acharging mode according to the specific current value on the basis ofthe received user input.

The operation for monitoring the voltage and current according tovarious embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least oneof an operation for monitoring an input current by an adaptor that iselectrically connected to the computing system and supplying power tothe computing system or an operation for monitoring a system voltage ofthe computing system. Additionally, the operation for monitoring thevoltage and current may include at least one of an operation formonitoring an input current by an adaptor that is electrically connectedto the computing system and supplying power to the computing system oran operation for monitoring a system voltage of the computing system.

The operation for changing the charging mode according to variousembodiments of the present disclosure may include an operation forchanging the charging mode into a lower stage changing mode when thenumber of cases that the current exceeds a reference current value orthe voltage is less than a reference voltage is more than a predefinednumber. Additionally, the operation for changing the charging mode mayinclude an operation for changing the charging mode into a higher stagechanging mode when cases that the current exceeds a reference currentvalue or the voltage do not occur for a predetermined time.

The operation for monitoring the input current according to variousembodiments of the present disclosure may include an operation forconverting the input current into voltage and an operation formonitoring whether the converted voltage exceeds a threshold voltage.

The operation for monitoring the system voltage according to variousembodiments of the present disclosure may include an operation formonitoring whether the system voltage is less than a reference voltage.

A charging mode control method of an external device connected to acomputing system according to various embodiments of the presentdisclosure may include an operation for charging the external devicethrough a first charging mode, an operation for monitoring a current anda voltage in the computing system, and an operation for changing thefirst charging mode into a second charging mode on the basis of themonitoring result.

The operation for monitoring the current and voltage according tovarious embodiment of the present disclosure may include an operationfor generating an adaptor limit alarm signal according to a predefinedcondition and an operation for generating a protection alarm signal whenthe adaptor alarm signal is detected more than a reference count. Inthis case, the second charging mode may be a charging mode lower thanthe first charging mode.

The adaptor limit alarm signal according to various embodiments of thepresent disclosure may occur when an input current provided to thecomputing system is detected more than a threshold value or the systemvoltage of the computing system is detected less than a reference value.Additionally, the adaptor limit alarm signal may be maintained for afirst time.

The protection alarm signal according to various embodiments of thepresent disclosure may be generated when the adaptor limit alarm signalis detected more than the reference count at a second time interval.Additionally, the protection alarm signal may be maintained for a thirdtime and the second charging mode may not be changed for the third time.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, when themonitoring result indicates a down adjustment of the charging mode, thesecond charging mode is a lower charging mode with respect to the firstcharging mode and when the monitoring result indicates an up adjustmentof the charging mode, the second charging mode is an upper charging modewith respect to the first charging mode

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, when themonitoring result indicates a down adjustment of the charging mode andthe first charging mode is the lowest charging mode, the charging of theexternal device may be stopped. Additionally, when the monitoring resultindicates an up adjustment of the charging mode and the first chargingmode is the highest charging mode, the second charging mode may beidentical to the first charging mode.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device accordingto various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 13, the electronic device 1300 includes at least oneapplication processor (AP) 1310, a communication module 1320, asubscriber identification module (SIM) card 1324, a memory 1330, asensor module 1340, an input device 1350, a display 1360, an interface1370, an audio module 1380, a camera module 1391, a power managementmodule 1395, a battery 1396, an indicator 1397, and a motor 1398.

The AP 1310 may control a plurality of hardware or software componentsconnected to the AP 1310 and also may perform various data processingand operations with multimedia data by executing an operating system oran application program. The AP 1310 may be implemented with a system onchip (SoC), for example. According to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure, the AP 1310 may further include a GPU (not shown).

The communication module 1320 may perform data transmission in acommunication between the electronic device 1300 and other electronicdevices connected thereto through a network. According to an embodimentof the present disclosure, the communication module 1320 may include acellular module 1321, a Wi-Fi module 1323, a Bluetooth (BT) module 1325,a GPS module 1327, a near-field communication (NFC) module 1328, and aradio frequency (RF) module 1329.

The cellular module 1321 may provide voice calls, video calls, textservices, or interne services through a communication network (forexample, long term evolution (LTE), long term evolution-advanced(LTE-A), code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband CDMA (WCDMA),universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), wireless broadband(WiBro), or global system for mobile communications (GSM)). The cellularmodule 1321 may perform a distinction and authentication operation on anelectronic device in a communication network by using a subscriberidentification module (for example, the SIM card 1324), for example.According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in order todistinguish an electronic device, instead of a subscriber identificationmodule, the serial number of an operating system for driving anelectronic device or identification information built in the main boardof an electronic device may be used. According to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure, the cellular module 1321 may perform at least partof a function that the AP 1310 provides. For example, the cellularmodule 1321 may perform at least part of a multimedia control function.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cellularmodule 1321 may further include a communication processor (CP).Additionally, the cellular module 1321 may be implemented with SoC, forexample. As shown in FIG. 13, components such as the cellular module1321 (for example, a CP), the memory 1330, or the power managementmodule 1395 are separated from the AP 1310, but according to anembodiment of the present disclosure, the AP 1310 may be implementedincluding some of the above-mentioned components (for example, thecellular module 1321).

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the AP 1310 or thecellular module 1321 (for example, a CP) may load instructions or data,which are received from a nonvolatile memory or at least one of othercomponents connected thereto, into a volatile memory and then mayprocess them. Furthermore, the AP 1310 or the cellular module 1321 maystore data received from or generated by at least one of othercomponents in a nonvolatile memory.

Each of the Wi-Fi module 1323, the BT module 1325, the GPS module 1327,and the NFC module 1328 may include a processor for processing datatransmitted/received through a corresponding module. Although thecellular module 1321, the Wi-Fi module 1323, the BT module 1325, the GPSmodule 1327, and the NFC module 1328 are shown as separate blocks inFIG. 13, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, some (forexample, at least two) of the cellular module 1321, the Wi-Fi module1323, the BT module 1325, the GPS module 1327, and the NFC module 1328may be included in one integrated chip (IC) or an IC package. Forexample, at least some (for example, a CP corresponding to the cellularmodule 1321 and a Wi-Fi processor corresponding to the Wi-Fi module1323) of the cellular module 1325, the Wi-Fi module 1327, the BT module1328, the GPS module 1321, and the NFC module 1323 may be implementedwith one SoC.

The RF module 1329 may be responsible for data transmission, forexample, the transmission of an RF signal. Although not shown in thedrawings, the RF module 1329 may include a transceiver, a power ampmodule (PAM), a frequency filter, or a low noise amplifier (LNA).Additionally, the RF module 1329 may further include components fortransmitting/receiving electromagnetic waves on a free space in awireless communication, for example, conductors or conducting wires.Although the cellular module 1321, the Wi-Fi module 1323, the BT module1325, the GPS module 1327, and the NFC module 1328 share one RF module1329 shown in FIG. 13, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure, at least one of the cellular module 1321, the Wi-Fi module1323, the BT module 1325, the GPS module 1327, and the NFC module 1328may perform the transmission of an RF signal through an additional RFmodule.

The SIM card 1324 may be a card including a subscriber identificationmodule and may be inserted into a slot formed at a specific position ofan electronic device. The SIM card 1324 may include uniqueidentification information (for example, an integrated circuit cardidentifier (ICCID)) or subscriber information (for example, aninternational mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)).

The memory 1330 may include an internal memory 1332 or an externalmemory 1334. The internal memory 1332 may include at least one of avolatile memory (for example, dynamic random access memory (DRAM),static RAM (SRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM)) and a non-volatilememory (for example, one time programmable read-only memory (OTPROM),programmable ROM (PROM), erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM),electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), mask ROM, flashROM, NAND flash memory, and NOR flash memory).

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the internalmemory 1332 may be a Solid State Drive (SSD). The external memory 1334may further include flash drive, for example, compact flash (CF), securedigital (SD), micro secure digital (Micro-SD), mini secure digital(Mini-SD), extreme digital (xD), or memory stick. The external memory1334 may be functionally connected to the electronic device 1300 throughvarious interfaces. According to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure, the electronic device 1300 may further include a storagedevice (or a storage medium) such as a hard drive.

The sensor module 1340 measures physical quantities or detects anoperating state of the electronic device 1300, thereby converting themeasured or detected information into electrical signals. The sensormodule 1340 may include at least one of a gesture sensor 1340A, a gyrosensor 1340B, a pressure sensor 1340C, a magnetic sensor 1340D, anacceleration sensor 1340E, a grip sensor 1340F, a proximity sensor1340G, a color sensor 1340H (for example, a red, green, blue (RGB)sensor), a bio sensor 1340I, a temperature/humidity sensor 1340J, anillumination sensor 1340K, and an ultra violet (UV) sensor 1340M.Additionally/alternately, the sensor module 1340 may include an E-nosesensor (not shown), an electromyography (EMG) sensor, anelectroencephalogram (EEG) sensor (not shown), an electrocardiogram(ECG) sensor (not shown), an infrared (IR) sensor (not shown), an irissensor (not shown), or a fingerprint sensor (not shown). The sensormodule 1340 may further include a control circuit for controlling atleast one sensor therein.

The input module 1350 may include a touch panel 1352, a (digital) pensensor 1354, a key 1356, or an ultrasonic input device 1358. The touchpanel 1352 may recognize a touch input through at least one ofcapacitive, resistive, infrared, or ultrasonic methods, for example.Additionally, the touch panel 1352 may further include a controlcircuit. In the case of the capacitive method, both direct touch andproximity recognition are possible. The touch panel 1352 may furtherinclude a tactile layer. In this case, the touch panel 1352 may providea tactile response to a user.

The (digital) pen sensor 1354 may be implemented through a methodsimilar or identical to that of receiving a user's touch input or anadditional sheet for recognition. The key 1356 may include a physicalbutton, a touch key, an optical key, or a keypad, for example. Theultrasonic input device 1358, as a device checking data by detectingsound waves through a microphone (for example, the microphone 1388) inthe electronic device 1300, may provide wireless recognition through aninput tool generating ultrasonic signals. According to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure, the electronic device 1300 may receive a userinput from an external device (for example, a computer or a server)connected to the electronic device 200 through the communication module1320.

The display 1360 may include a panel 1362, a hologram device 1364, or aprojector 1366. The panel 1362 may include a liquid-crystal display(LCD) or an AM-OLED. The panel 1362 may be implemented to be flexible,transparent, or wearable, for example. The panel 1362 and the touchpanel 1352 may be configured with one module. The hologram 1364 may showthree-dimensional images in the air by using the interference of light.The projector 1366 may display an image by projecting light on a screen.The screen, for example, may be placed inside or outside the electronicdevice 1300. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, thedisplay 1360 may further include a control circuit for controlling thepanel 1362, the hologram device 1364, or the projector 1366.

The interface 1370 may include a high-definition multimedia interface(HDMI) 1372, a USB 1374, an optical interface 1376, or a D-subminiature(sub) 1378, for example. Additionally/alternately, the interface 1370may include a mobile high-definition link (MHL) interface, a SDcard/multi-media card (MMC) interface, or an infrared data association(IrDA) standard interface.

The audio module 1380 may convert sound and electrical signals in bothdirections. The audio module 1380 may process sound informationinputted/outputted through a speaker 1382, a receiver 1384, an earphone1386, or a microphone 1388.

The camera module 1391, as a device for capturing a still image and avideo, may include at least one image sensor (for example, a frontsensor or a rear sensor), a lens (not shown), an image signal processor(ISP) (not shown), or a flash (not shown) (for example, an LED or axenon lamp).

The power management module 1395 may manage the power of the electronicdevice 1300. Although not shown in the drawings, the power managementmodule 1395 may include a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), acharger integrated circuit (IC), or a battery or fuel gauge, forexample.

The PMIC may be built in an IC or SoC semiconductor, for example. Acharging method may be classified as a wired method and a wirelessmethod. The charger IC may charge a battery and may prevent overvoltageor overcurrent flow from a charger. According to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure, the charger IC may include a charger IC for at leastone of a wired charging method and a wireless charging method. Wirelesscharging methods include a magnetic resonance method, a magneticinduction method, or an electromagnetic method. An additional circuitfor wireless charging, such as a coil loop, a resonant circuit, or arectifier circuit, may be added.

The battery gauge may measure the remaining amount of the battery 1396,or a voltage, current, or temperature of the battery 396 duringcharging. The battery 1396 may store or generate electricity and maysupply power to the electronic device 1300 by using the stored orgenerated electricity. The battery 1396, for example, may include arechargeable battery or a solar battery.

The indicator 1397 may display a specific state of the electronic device1300 or part thereof (for example, the AP 1310), for example, a bootingstate, a message state, or a charging state. The motor 1398 may convertelectrical signals into mechanical vibration. Although not shown in thedrawings, the electronic device 1300 may include a processing device(for example, a GPU) for mobile TV support. A processing device formobile TV support may process media data according to the standards suchas digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB), digital video broadcasting(DVB), or media flow.

A computing system for controlling a charging mode of an external deviceaccording to various embodiments of the present disclosure may includean external port providing a connection with the external device, aninput current monitoring unit for monitoring an input current providedfrom an adaptor, a system voltage monitoring unit for monitoring asystem voltage of the computing system, a trigger circuit unit forgenerating an adaptor limit alarm signal according to the input currentmonitored by the input current monitoring unit and the system voltagemonitored by the system voltage monitoring unit, and a controller fordetecting the adaptor limit alarm signal generated by the triggercircuit unit. The controller may change a charging mode of charging theexternal device on the basis of the adaptor limit alarm signal.

Additionally, when the adaptor limit alarm signal is detected more thana reference count at a predetermined time interval, the controller maygenerate a protection alarm signal and may change the charging mode intoa lower charging mode according to the protection alarm signal.

Additionally, when the adaptor limit alarm signal occurs more than areference count for a predetermined time, the controller may change thecharging mode into a lower charging mode.

Additionally, the controller may change a charging mode on the basis ofthe RSOC change amount of the remaining battery power amount of theexternal device.

Additionally, the computing system may further include a display deviceand an input device. When the external device is connected to the exportport, the computing system may display a plurality of selectablecharging modes on the display device and may determine one of theplurality of selectable charging modes as a charging mode according to auser input received through the input device. Additionally, the displaydevice and the input device may be implemented with one touch displaypanel.

Additionally, when the charging mode is determined by a fast chargingmode, the controller may transmit a control signal on the changedcharging mode to the external device and the control signal may be usedfor setting of battery charging according to the fast charging mode.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a chargingmode of an external device connected to a computing system may bedetermined depending on a user's selection.

Additionally, according to various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, a charging mode is changed actively depending on a situationof a changing current or voltage during charging, thereby providing anoptimized charging efficiency without causing an overload of an adaptoror a computing system.

Each of the above-mentioned components of the electronic deviceaccording to various embodiments of the present disclosure may beconfigured with at least one component and the name of a correspondingcomponent may vary according to the kind of an electronic device. Anelectronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosuremay be configured including at least one of the above-mentionedcomponents or additional other components. Additionally, some componentsin an electronic device according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure may be configured as one entity, so that functions ofprevious corresponding components are performed identically.

The term

°module

± used in this disclosure, for example, may mean a unit including acombination of at least one of hardware, software, and firmware. Theterm “module” and the term “unit”, “logic”, “logical block”,“component”, or “circuit” may be interchangeably used. “module” may be aminimum unit or part of an integrally configured component. “module” maybe a minimum unit performing at least one function or part thereof“module” may be implemented mechanically or electronically. For example,“module” according to various embodiments of the present disclosure mayinclude at least one of an application-specific integrated circuit(ASIC) chip performing certain operations, field-programmable gatearrays (FPGAs), or a programmable-logic device, all of which are knownor to be developed in the future.

While the present disclosure has been shown and described with referenceto various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilledin the art that various changes in form and details may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure asdefined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A charging control method of a computing system,the method comprising: determining a charging mode for an externaldevice connected to the computing system; charging the external deviceaccording to the charging mode; monitoring a current and a voltage inthe computing system; and changing the charging mode based on the resultof the monitoring.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein thedetermining of the charging mode comprises: presenting a plurality ofselectable charging modes; receiving an input for selecting one of theplurality of selectable charging modes; and determining the selectedmode as the charging mode.
 3. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe determining of the charging mode comprises: automaticallydetermining a charging mode based on at least one of a system load ofthe computing system, a state of charge of a battery included in thecomputing system, and an operating state of the external device.
 4. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the determining of the chargingmode comprises: presenting a range of a selectable charging current;receiving an input for a specific current value within the range of theselectable charging current; and determining a charging mode accordingto the specific current value based on the received input.
 5. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the voltage and thecurrent comprises at least one of: monitoring an input current by anadaptor which is electrically connected to the computing system andsupplies power to the computing system, and monitoring a system voltageof the computing system.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein thechanging of the charging mode comprises: changing the charging mode intoa lower stage charging mode when the current exceeds a reference currentvalue or the voltage is less than a reference voltage more than apredetermined number of times, based on the result of the monitoring. 7.The method according to claim 1, wherein the changing of the chargingmode comprises changing the charging mode into a higher stage chargingmode when the current does not exceed a reference current value or thevoltage is not less than a reference voltage during a predeterminedtime, based on the result of the monitoring.
 8. The method according toclaim 6, wherein the monitoring of the input current comprises:converting the input current into a voltage and monitoring whether theconverted voltage exceeds a threshold voltage.
 9. The method accordingto claim 6, wherein the monitoring of the system voltage comprises:determining whether the system voltage is below the reference voltage.10. A method of controlling battery charging of an external deviceconnected to a computing system, the method comprising: charging theexternal device through a first charging mode; monitoring a current anda voltage in the computing system; and changing the first charging modeinto a second charging mode based on the result of the monitoring. 11.The method according to claim 10, wherein the monitoring of the currentand the voltage comprises: generating an adaptor limit alarm signalaccording to a predefined condition; and generating a protection alarmsignal when the adaptor limit alarm signal occurs more times than areference count.
 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein thesecond charging mode is a lower stage charging mode than the firstcharging mode.
 13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the adaptorlimit alarm signal occurs when an input current provided to thecomputing system is greater than a threshold value or a system voltageof the computing system is less than a reference value.
 14. The methodaccording to claim 13, wherein the adaptor limit alarm signal ismaintained for a first time.
 15. The method according to claim 11,wherein the protection alarm signal is generated when a number of theadaptor limit alarm signals is greater than the reference count at asecond time interval.
 16. The method according to claim 11, wherein theprotection alarm signal is maintained for a third time and the secondcharging mode is not changed for the third time.
 17. The methodaccording to claim 10, wherein, when the result of the monitoringindicates a lower adjustment of the charging mode, the second chargingmode is a lower stage charging mode than the first charging mode andwhen the monitoring result indicates a higher adjustment of the chargingmode, the second charging mode is a higher stage charging mode than thefirst charging mode.
 18. The method according to claim 10, wherein, whenthe result of the monitoring indicates a lower adjustment of thecharging mode and the first charging mode is the lowest stage chargingmode, charging the external device is stopped.
 19. The method accordingto claim 10, wherein, when the result of the monitoring indicates ahigher adjustment of the charging mode and the first charging mode isthe highest stage charging mode, the second charging mode is identicalto the first charging mode.
 20. A computing system for controlling acharging mode of an external device, the computing system comprising: anexternal port configured to provide a connection with the externaldevice; an input current monitoring unit configured to monitor an inputcurrent provided from an adaptor; a system voltage monitoring unitconfigured to monitor a system voltage of the computing system; atrigger circuit unit configured to generate an adaptor limit alarmsignal according to the input current monitored by the input currentmonitoring unit and the system voltage monitored by the system voltagemonitoring unit; and a controller configured to detect the adaptor limitalarm signal generated by the trigger circuit unit, wherein thecontroller changes a charging mode for charging the external devicebased on the adaptor limit alarm signal.
 21. The computing systemaccording to claim 20, wherein the controller generates a protectionalarm signal when a number of adaptor limit alarm signals exceeds areference count at a predetermined time interval and changes thecharging mode into a lower stage charging mode according to theprotection alarm signal.
 22. The computing system according to claim 20,wherein the controller changes the charging mode into a lower stagecharging mode when the number of adaptor limit alarm signals is lessthan a reference count for a predetermined time.
 23. The computingsystem according to claim 20, wherein the controller changes a chargingmode based on a Relative State of Charge (RSOC) change amount of aremaining battery power amount of the external device.
 24. The computingsystem according to claim 20, further comprising: a display unit and aninput unit, wherein, when the external device is connected to theexternal port, a plurality of selectable charging modes are displayed onthe display unit; and according to a user input received through theinput unit, one of the plurality of selectable charging modes isdetermined as a charging mode for the external device.
 25. The computingsystem according to claim 24, wherein the display unit and the inputunit are implanted as one touch display panel.
 26. The computing systemaccording to claim 20, wherein when the charging mode is determined tobe a fast charging mode, the controller transmits a control signal forthe changed charging mode to the external device, and wherein thecontrol signal is used for setting battery charging according to thefast charging mode in the external device.
 27. A charging control methodof a computing system, the method comprising: determining a chargingmode for an external device connected to the computing system; chargingthe external device according to the charging mode; monitoring aRelative State of Charge (RSOC) of a remaining battery power amount ofthe external device; and changing the charging mode based on a changeamount of the RSOC.